The Difference One Night Can Make
by Dai-onna
Summary: (Finished) In the duelist kingdom, Yugi must fight for what he loves or lose everything. Shounen ai. Yugi/YamiXSeto and Dark MagicianXGijinka Blue Eyes
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Not mine……..duh.

Dai-na: This was just something I thought up while the muses were on vacation. I have a second chapter to this and a third in the works but their rough drafts at best and need some tidying up. Let me know what you think of this one first, okay? This is SetoXYamiXYugi with some Dark MagicianXgijinka Blue Eyes in later chapter. As always, please review. 

The Difference One Night Can Make By: Dai-onna 

Yugi exhaled a deep breath as he swallowed some of the water from the river, relieving his parched throat. The moon shone directly overhead, almost accusingly. It was deep into the night and everyone else was asleep. He had tried to sleep; knowing that they probably had a long day ahead of them the next day but rest had eluded him. He couldn't stop thinking about the night's earlier events; when Kaiba had shown up. He had known that the billionaire was still alive; no one as stubborn as him would die without taking the rest of the world with him. He'd even had the feeling that it had been the chestnut-haired boy that had helped him during the duel with the imposter who'd possessed his deck. 

He had the sinking feeling that, without Exodia in his deck, he would have lost if it hadn't been for that virus that had been uploaded into the Blue Eyes.

But still, he hadn't expected to see him on the island. 

It was stupid, really. Kaiba's brother, Mokuba was the only thing, aside from his Blue eyes', that he truly cherished. It was obvious that he'd come to save him. But seeing Kaiba, so unexpectedly, had caught him off guard and he'd been unprepared for the wave of emotions that had crashed into him. 

Seto Kaiba was his ultimate ideal. He was, to Yugi anyway, completely perfect. He left the younger boy awed and captivated. And if he ever found out, Yugi was certain that he'd crawl up in a hole somewhere and die from the mortification of it. As it stood, Yugi had the older boy's respect as a duelist, and one day he hoped to have his friendship. But that was his optimistic nature. If Kaiba ever found out his true feelings, he would not only lose all chance of that friendship, slim though it was, he'd also lose his hard-won respect. And that was something he wasn't sure he could survive.

Sighing, he dipped his hands back into the water for another drink.

"You really shouldn't drink from that. It might not be sanitary." Came a dark, rich voice from behind him. Yugi recognized it instantly and whirled around, stunned to see Kaiba leaning against a tree, looking at him with an unreadable expression. 

"Kaiba! What are you doing here? I thought you were going to the castle."

The older boy's eyes flashed for a moment and, not for the first time, Yugi wished that he knew what was going on behind their azure depths. 

"There's nothing I can do there tonight." He said evenly. It made Yugi want to sigh in frustration but he restrained himself.

"So why are you here? Not that you're not welcome to join us, but I don't think that's it." 

The older boy nodded and came over to stand with him by the riverbank. 

Yugi couldn't suppress the shiver that ran through him at having is secret love so close. 

"I'm not delusional, Yugi." He said softly. "I know that Pegasus is dangerous and quite insane. I know that I could go into that castle and never come back." Yugi shuddered at the thought. How could he talk about something like that so easily? He looked up at the taller boy, waiting for him to continue.

"I don't like having regrets. If I die in there, I don't want to have any."

Yugi blinked up at him, confused. What did he regret? Losing to him in their duel? Did he want a rematch? He got the feeling that it was something else.

"I don't understand." was all he said. He grew further confused when Kaiba moved in front of him and pulled him close. Yugi could only stare, fascinated as the older boy bent down and claimed his lips. The kiss was soft and gentle but not hesitant. 

Yugi was dumbstruck. 

Kaiba was kissing him.

Seto Kaiba, his idol.

Seto Kaiba, the boy that he'd practically worshiped for the past few weeks, was kissing him and he was just standing there like an idiot. When the older boy was about to pull away he brought his arms up, holding him close and deepened the kiss. The brunette murmured appreciatively into his mouth. 

They stood there like that for what may have been minutes or hours, in the moonlight by the riverbank, just holding each other until they finally separated, needing air. They only pulled back far enough to breathe, each remaining in the security of the other's arms. 

"You want me." Yugi murmured, not really asking. Seto's blue eyes flashed again, but this time the barriers came completely down, exposing their depths to the smaller boy who stared into them, awed. 

Seto shook his head slightly.

"I _love_ you." He said simply and, for the first time, Yugi heard real emotion lacing his voice.

Yugi nodded with a smile. Right there, just the two of them holding each other, knowing what might happen later, it just seemed that simple. He had no trouble responding in kind.

"I love you too."

The brunette captured his lips with another kiss only this one was far more demanding then the first. Yugi yielded to him without hesitation, parting his lips to permit entrance to the older boy's questing tongue. He didn't give it a second thought as Seto lowered him softly to lay on the grass, his long form covering Yugi's smaller one. He ran his hands up the older boy's arms reach the edge of his jacket and pulled it off, tossing it aside to be instantly forgotten. 

While using one arm to hold himself up, Seto used his other hand to tug at the buckles on Yugi's clothes. When he finally worked the smaller boy's shirt off  Yugi blushed slightly and he felt the slight form shift beneath him. He looked at the now taller boy beneath him and knew something was off. He pulled back a little to examine this new person. 

"You're not Yugi….But, you are…" He murmured, confused. 

   The other boy gave him a thoughtful smile. 

"You're right. It's like…. There's two of us in here," he said, tapping his temple with one finger. "One is Yugi and the other is myself. We are like the same person but, at the same time, we're not. When Yugi feels unsure or lacking confidence I take over." Seto thought about this for a moment.

"_You_ were the one I dueled." Yami nodded. Seto gave him a pensive look. 

"I want to be with Yugi. I don't want him to be uncertain with me. He has no need." 

Yami nodded again and leaned up to kiss him again. 

"No matter what, you will always be with both of us. There is no one or the other. You're just choosing the front."

Seto understood and pulled him closer as he shifted back to a sheepish looking Yugi. Seto gave him a rare smile that had the smaller boy tearing up.

"I love you Yugi. All of you." He said warmly, his gaze running over the lithe form. Yugi blushed again but nodded his understanding. 

The brunette lowered his head to run his lips over the exposed skin, worshiping his petite lover. Yugi moaned contentedly as he allowed his Koi to make love to him.

In the afterglow of their lovemaking, there was no awkwardness. The held each other, then played in the cool water of the river as they cleaned off. They laughed and splashed about like children, neither thinking about the hours to come when they would have to part, or what Seto would be facing. 

Yugi pulled his sopping lover close, wrapping his arms around his waist and placed soft kisses on his chest. The sun would be coming up soon and his friends would awaken. Seto would leave and he wanted to make the most of this time they had together.

It could be their last…

They sat together on the riverbank as they dried off. Yugi sat wrapped in his lover's arms, his body heat warding off any chill. 

"Seto…?"

"Hmm?"

"Please be careful." Yugi turned to face the taller boy. "I just found you. I don't want to lose you." Seto pulled him closer and pressed a soft kiss to his temple.

"I will. I have something important that I'm fighting for and something just as vital to come back to. Besides you'll get in there soon enough. You can make sure I don't do anything stupid." Seto's expression turned surprisingly somber.

"I want you to promise me something though."

Yugi looked up at him curious and nodded, motioning for him to continue.

"Mokuba means everything to me. For the longest time he was all I had. If… If I fail, I want you to promise me you'll save him. Even if—" He cut himself off, trying to fight against the tears that threatened to spill over. He buried his face in Yugi's hair and tried to steady himself. 

"If it comes down to a choice, Mokuba comes first. If you could save him, even at the cost of my life, I want you to do it. I couldn't stand living knowing that I was the reason that my brother wasn't there. Please Yugi, I'm begging you. Promise me."

Yugi's cheeks were soaked and he nodded mutely, knowing that if presented with such a situation he would do as his love asked but he too would die in the process. Emotionally if not physically.

"I promise:" He managed to choke out. Both boys dressed and Seto pulled Yugi to him for one last kiss. Both of them had tears staining their faces and they clung to each other desperately, never wanting to let go.

In the end, Seto pulled away. He brushed his hand softly over his love's cheek, wiping away the damp stream, then turned, walking away with out looking back.

Brokenly, Yugi headed back to the clearing where his friends were just starting to rouse. Joey spotted him first and instantly noticed the tears streaming uncontrollably down his face and went over to him, alarmed. Yugi said nothing but threw himself into his friend's arms and broke down, sobbing violently in fear and grief. Everyone watched him shocked and concerned but no one said anything as the blonde soothingly stroked the small boy's back as he cried, fearing that he might never see his love again.

~~Owari~~


	2. Breaking Twighlight

Disclaimer: Is this really necessary? Second part of 'the difference one night can make' this takes place during Yugi's battle with Kaiba at the castle. I don't entirely remember how this battle goes but even thought the B E ultimate has been summoned, for the purposes of this story, he hasn't used the Dark Magician yet. Got it? Good.

Dai-na: this gets kinda weird and it seems to be lacking something to me. If you could tell what you think it is I'd appreciate it. 

Breaking Twilight By Dai-onna 

Yugi stood motionless as he watched the boy across the dueling field. He wasn't sure how it had happened but here he was, at Pegasus' castle, dueling the love of his life who just happened to be using what might possibly the most powerful card in the entire game of duel monsters.

He had never felt more betrayed in his life. 

After exiting the labyrinth where he and Joey had tag-teamed Mei and Kyuu they had been almost instantly confronted with Seto, saying that to get into the castle Yugi had to first defeat him. Yugi hadn't realized just how serious Seto had been about this battle until he'd pulled out the ritual to summon the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. 

Had he been planning this all along? Had their night together, Yugi's precious guarded treasure, been nothing more than a carefully constructed lie? A battle tactic to weaken his guard and pierce his defenses? Yugi could feel the tears stinging at his eyes just considering it.

***Don't be a fool Yugi!***  His Yami reprimanded him forcefully. ***Seto loves you and you damn well know it. You should be ashamed for ever doubting him!***

The words were like a mental slap for Yugi, knocking him out of his self pity and bringing him to his senses

A wave of guilt swept over him.

'You're right. I was stupid for not believing in him; for not trusting why I loved him in the first place.'

** *This is Pegasus' doing. Somehow, to save Mokuba, Seto first has to defeat you in a duel. It's a  win/win situation for Pegasus. One way or another, he'll have someone out of his hair when this is over.***

Yugi sighed softly in silent agreement.

'_He's a fool if he thinks either Seto or I will give up just because we lost.'_

He felt himself growing angry at Pegasus for making him and Seto fight. It wasn't just anger thought. It was a white-hot rage that seemed to seep from every pore in his body. It scared him but, at the same time it made him feel powerful, more confident. Like ha was ready to face anything if it would bring about Pegasus' downfall so that they could save the ones they loved and finally have a chance to work things out between them.

Could they even have a life together outside of this island?

He needed desperately to find out.__

Yugi studied Seto intently. The other boy's eyes seemed impassive and cold but just when Yugi was about to turn away, they flashed. It was only a brief flickering that would have been missed if he'd blinked. But, in that instant, he'd seen all the love and devotion he needed to feel like a total fool for having ever doubted his koibitto. His heart swelled and he swore that they would see this through. He needed nothing else if but to believe that. 

But for now, they had a duel to finish. 

Despite that he knew Seto's reasons for dueling, he wasn't about to let him win. The older boy's pride would never allow it. Nor would his own. Only one of them was going to get into the castle and Yugi was going to try his hardest to make sure he was that one.

He looked over his hand. He knew he had nothing that could beat the Blue Eyes but he still had to play something. 

"I summon the Dark Magician and place it in defense mode."

Yugi wasn't certain but he almost thought he saw Seto wince. A fake sneer crossed his beautiful feature and he looked up at the magnificent dragon he had created.

"Pathetic. Blue Eyes, ultimate burst!!" 

Everyone stared, dumbstruck and the mighty dragon merely turned to glare at his master then turned his nose—er, noses—up in the air, disdained.  

Yugi felt his eyes grow wide at the sight. Was… Was the card deliberately disobeying him? The idea sounded ridiculous but Yugi couldn't shake the feeling that that was exactly what was happening. 

"Uh…Blue Eyes?" Seto's voice was bewildered and concerned as he looked up at his beloved creature. The dragon glared at him fiercely with all six eyes and Yugi could have sworn that he saw pain sparkling in their depths. 

No one was quite sure what was happening when the dragon began to glow and, in a blinding light that covered the whole dueling field, was replaced with a young boy.

The boy had two darkened silhouettes on either side of him, each mirroring his form perfectly. His spiked hair and satiny clothes were the same icy metallic color that the dragon had been but his eyes were deep cerulean, just like Seto's. The Dragon-boy glared at his master again before going over to stand next to the Dark Magician who, to Yugi's amazement, had changed slightly as well. 

He no longer wore his bulky armor, leaving his long, lean body in a tight-fitting outfit that was a deep, dark purple and his once violet hair now fell in shimmering golden cascades. His own sky-colored eyes were angry and filled with frustrated tears. 

Their masters could only watch them in shock.

"I will not obey you." The dragon-boy's voice was rich and musical but it was filled with quelled rage.

The blonde mage turned towards Yugi.

"Nor will I you."  Yugi could only blink in surprised as he was faced with a rebellious mage.

Seto couldn't believe what he was seeing or hearing.

"You're going to mutiny?" He asked incredulously. 

His former dragon speared him with a disparaging look.

"If it will put an end to this nonsense." The metallic-haired boy wrapped his arms around the mage's waist. "You got to be with your love. Why should I have to destroy mine?"  Yugi suppressed a gasp and sorrowful tears filled his eyes. 

Their cards hearts, whether by coincidence or by some indefinable connection, now mirrored their own.

And by dueling they had done to their most beloved cards what Pegasus had done to them in forcing them to fight. Only this was worse. They weren't forced to merely compete against one another; they had to fight until one destroyed the other.   

Seto was in a state of shock. The brunette couldn't think of a single thing to say to that that didn't constitute as monosyllabic mumbling. 

The cards loved? 

His own beloved dragon was in love with Yugi's Dark Magician, his small Koibitto's own signature card. And it was returned.

Was this the true 'heart of the cards' that Yugi had so often spoke of? Or was it something else entirely? 

"Enough!" Yami's powerful voice gained everyone's attention before he shifted back to Yugi.

"The smaller boy had tears of sympathy in his eyes.

"You're right. This isn't fair." Yugi walked over to Seto, his back to his friends so that they couldn't see him removing the star chips from his glove before it was too late to stop him. 

He stopped in front of his love and placed the five tokens in his hand.

"I forfeit." 

The monsters on the field disappeared. There were gasps all around but the two boys ignored them as they studied each other intently. Yugi knew that this was what he had to do. He would not stand in Seto's way of protecting his brother, nor would he force their cards to battle anymore. 

"Save Mokuba." He whispered softly so that only Seto could hear him. 

" I'll be there as soon as I can just please, Seto, be careful." 

The taller boy nodded and raised his battle disc, removing the card from it and handing it to Yugi who was holding is own Dark Magician card. His precious Blue Eyes, the card that meant more to him the rest of his entire collection combined. True he had three, but this one had always seemed the truest. 

He had felt as if it had chosen him from the beginning to be its master. 

"They should be together, don't you think?"

The tears were now streaming down Yugi's cheeks as he looked at the cards in his hand. They looked right together. 

He reached up to his throat to unlatch and remove the ever-present collar, handing it to his lover in an unspoken declaration. Seto seemed to understand that he needed him to take it. Needed to feel that apart of him would be there to look over him until he could get there in person.

The brunette wordlessly latched the strap around his neck and a moment of silent understanding passed between them before Seto walked away, heading back inside the castle. 

Yugi didn't even notice as the cards he held tightly to his chest began to glow slightly before merging into one. He unconsciously slipped it into his deck before rejoining his friends who were all still in a state of shock.

Somehow, someway, he would get into that castle and, if anything happened to Seto before he did. There would be hell to pay.

~~Owari~~

Dai-na: Well, that's that. I know it was kind of a short chapter but I stretched it as much as my imagination would allow without turning it into an episode of Dragon Ball. The next part, Shattered Dawn is still in the works. I'm not really sure how to write it so don't hold your breath waiting for me to post it. 

Please review

^__^ And, as always, I hope you enjoyed it.


	3. Shattered Dawn

Disclaimer: This is pointless! Like skating on sausages……. Exactly. 

Dai-na: Well, this sort of came out of the woodwork, didn't it? I had in no way planned things to go like this. But then, isn't that always the case? Just so there's no confusion, I changed Dark Magician and Blue Eyes' names. It just weird to call them that and kinda awkward. So I named them Maho and Ryu for the purposes of this story. Magic and Dragon. Pretty simple, right?

Well, anyway, enjoy the story. 

Shattered dawn By: Dai-onna 

Ryu opened his eyes with a gasp. He wasn't sure what was going on. The last thing he knew, Yugi had forfeited the battle against his master and he and Maho had been sent back into their respective cards. But he wasn't in his card. He didn't know exactly where he was but it wasn't familiar. He couldn't see anything but a haze of blue fog and there was a warmth in the air that threatened to envelop him. It was stifling but not unpleasant.

He felt….safe

He jumped when he felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder and when he looked up to find the source tears filled his eyes. Looking down at him was an all-too-familiar face with golden hair that fell just past his shoulders and shimmering cobalt eyes.

"Maho…." 

Ryu didn't quite know what to say. The only times that he and his love had ever been this close was when they were in battle, and the pain of fighting each other far overshadowed any joy that came from seeing one another. 

Now, here they were, on this empty plane, with no battle, no duelists, just the two of them and Ryu couldn't have stopped the rivers of tears that streamed down his cheeks if he wanted to. 

The blonde mage leaned forward and licked one of the salty rivulets away; his mouth lingering after it was gone. Ryu shivered at the contact before throwing himself against the other, sobs racking his body uncontrollably. 

The mage just rubbed his back soothingly, murmuring softly to him, unaware of the tears that stained his own cheeks as well.

"Shh…Ryu, …. It's okay…" 

The dragon-boy looked up at his love. 

"Maho, what's going on?" The mage brushed away his tears and pulled back a bit.

"Seto gave Yugi your card." He told him. Ryu was shocked and for a moment he felt abandoned before he realized his master's reasoning. 

"He doesn't think that he'll make it out of Pegasus' castle alive." He concluded aloud. Maho nodded in agreement then smiled at him reassuringly.

"Don't worry Love, Master Yugi will make sure that nothing happens to him."

Ryu nodded but he wasn't so sure.

He had a bad feeling…

He was jolted out of his foreboding when cool hands found there way under his shirt brushing against the bare skin there. He looked up at Maho to see a purely feline expression on his face. Ryu swallowed deeply and gasped a bit when those long, slender fingers slid further up, one brushing against a sensitive peak. 

A halted moan escaped his throat and he locked eyes with the blonde mage.

With a heated gaze, Maho leaned down and claimed his lips, savoring the taste of them. The ice-haired boy moaned into his mouth. They melded into one another perfectly, each of their bodies seemingly made to fit the other's.

Ryu nearly cried at the feeling of it. He'd waited so long for this and it was more wonderful than he'd ever imagined. He dug his fingers into the satiny purple material of the other boy's clothes and clung to him tightly.  

Even when the kiss ended neither of them let go of the other, their hands roaming languidly, soothing and exploring, taking every detail to memory. There was no rush. They had waited so long that they wanted to miss nothing of this amazing experience. 

Ryu laid down, bringing the taller boy with him, covering his slight form. He held him close, refusing to let go. He was still afraid that this was all some sort of torturous dream that he would wake from, alone and in pain. 

Maho looked at him with understanding sky-colored eyes and leaned down, pressing small, butterfly kisses over his face and neck. He sighed and brought his hands up to tangle his hand in the other's mass of golden hair. 

His hands only made it halfway.

Maho looked down at him, startled, as his eyes went painfully wide and all the color drained from his face. He was gasping for air and the pain in his expression was impossible to miss. 

Cold panic seeped into the mage's veins.

"Ryu! Ryu, what wrong? Come on Love, talk to me." He pleaded, trying to gain a response from the stricken boy.

His sapphire eyes cleared a little, enough to settle on him and he heaved an internal sigh of relief before the tears came flooding uncontrollably down  the dragon-boy's face.

"Seto…"

The scream was torn from Yugi's throat as Seto's soul was taken from his body. A white-hot pain lanced through him and he felt as if a crucial part of himself had been burned away. 

He sank to his knees and clutched at his neck, trying to force air into his closed throat. He was shaking violently and the rest of the world seemed to fade away to the pain that overwhelmed him. He wanted to die. To throw himself from the railing right there and end it all. He probably would have if he'd been able to move but he was frozen to the spot, unable to do anything but sob pitifully against the cold floor. 

Everyone stared at him in shock, Pegasus included. No one had expected this kind of reaction from him. He hadn't even broken down like this when his grandfather had been taken. But, this was different. Pegasus might as well have stolen his own soul. It certainly would have been less painful. He burned inside, darkness consuming him, threatening to seep into his heart. 

Another lance of pain speared him and it proved too much. He lost consciousness, surrendering his body to his Yami.

The pharaoh pulled himself up from the floor, trying to compose himself. Like Yugi, he was filled with an unbearable pain, but almost outweighing that pain was anger

A cold, dark anger that chilled his skin and had him shuddering inside. He wanted to destroy this man who had done this to them. To slowly and methodically make him hurt, returning all the pain that he had caused a hundredfold. The hatred that filled him caused a ball of ice to sink into his stomach and he fought against it and the shadows that beckoned him. 

His eyes met Pegasus' gaze and the older man actually locked startled and, dare he say it, frightened. The expression caused a thread of satisfaction to pierce the anger he felt. 

He said nothing, just staring the other man down until the American retreated, leaving the makeshift arena. 

Yugi fell limply against his bed as his mind whirled. Tomorrow he would duel Mai so that he could advance in the tournament. He couldn't begin to think about that though. His heart was still in agony and he was barely aware of what was going on around him. Rolling over onto his stomach, he sobbed into his pillow as the tears once again streamed freely down his cheeks. 

Seto…..

He'd only just found him and now he'd already lost him. He might never see him again. 

He knew deep down that he shouldn't think so pessimistically, that he shouldn't lose hope but he couldn't fight against the anguish he felt. 

_I have faith in you, Yugi. _

Yugi's eyes shot open wide, his heart jumping. The voice that filled his head wasn't his Yami's but was just as familiar. 

_'Seto?!'_

_Don't give up hope, my love. I haven't. I know you will save me._

The tears came harder now, but they were bittersweet. He closed his eyes, focusing intently on the alien presence there.

_'But… It hurts so much not having you here. I couldn't protect you." _

_Yugi……. You didn't fail, I did. It was my battle and, to be honest, I knew I would lose._

Yugi was startled by the admission.

'But, then why—' 

_I had had to fight, Yugi. Just like tomorrow you have to fight. Only you will win. I know it._

'You have so much faith in me and so much is at stake. I don't want to let you down' 

_You won't. _

Yugi sniffled a little and the pain that he'd been carrying around for the past few hours lifted from him considerably. 

He wrapped his arms tightly around himself, not wanting to let go of whatever it was that was allowing him to be with Seto.

'I love you…' 

There was a pause.

_Boku mo Aishiteru, Yugi._

Yugi felt that he had never heard more sincerely spoken words and he felt his heart swell. With his eyes still closed he leaned back against the pillow and to his amazement, drifted into a dream-like state.

And in front of him was Seto. He rushed to the taller boy, grabbing hold and clinging to him, never wanting to let go. The brunette's arms closed around him and he sighed contentedly.

Looking up, he held his love's azure gaze until the taller boy lean down to claim his lips gently. He sighed at the loving caress. Seto pulled back, brushing the tears from his cheeks. 

"Don't give up hope, Yugi. When you lose everything else, it's all you have. If you throw it away then you've lost. Promise me you won't give up.

Yugi nodded earnestly then gave him a watery smile that was tinged with mischief.

"You're a pretty demanding lover aren't you?" 

Seto looked startled but he could see the humor that shone in the smaller one's tear-filled eyes. 

He laughed softly and kissed the little angel again. 

Yugi snaked his arms around Seto's waist and snuggled against him, bringing his lips in direct contact with the other's throat. He nudged the material of his shirt out of the way and kissed the delectable skin there. 

Seto moaned and pulled him closer but reluctantly pulled his neck away from the eager mouth. 

"Sleep now, Yugi. You will need your strength tomorrow.

Yugi pouted, not wanting Seto to leave him. 

Understandingly, the brunette laid down beside him. 

"I'll stay here with you as long as I can Yugi, but you must sleep."

Yugi relented and cuddled into the comforting embrace. 

He was asleep in seconds and Seto watched him as he slept. His eyes were puffy and there were still damp stains on his cheeks, but his mouth was curled into a blissful smile and he looked peaceful. 

With an anguished sigh he felt the connection between himself and Yugi wavering and he looked up to see the image of the silver-haired man who had imprisoned his soul in the first place. 

"You're time's up, Kaiba-boy." Seto nodded and pulled away from his tiny love. Pegasus' expression was unreadable as he studied him intently.

As much as it galled him, he forced his next words past his lips.

"Thank you."

The older man merely turned away, disappearing from the plane they were on. 

It was the only warning he had before he sank back into the white abyss in which he'd been contained, his mind shutting down.

In his sleep, Yugi curled into his pillow, holding it close as he dreamt of his love, unaware of what had just taken place inside his own mind.

Yami however was wide-awake. Very aware and very disturbed.

He evaluated the situation over and over as the night deepened before seeping into dawn, the sun peeking over the horizon and hints of light shining in through the window.

He decided that he wouldn't tell Yugi of what he'd seen. He'd be distracted enough; he didn't need to add that to his troubles. He looked at his aibou who was still sleeping peacefully.

They would free Seto, he was sure of it. Mokuba and Yugi's grandfather as well. As for what they would do with Pegasus… well, that had yet to be decided.

But, despite what he'd apparently done for Yugi and Seto last night, he could never forgive the older man.

Never. 

~~Owari~~

Dai-na: Well, hoped you liked it. 

Thanks to those who have reviewed this as well as my other stories. I love hearing what you think. ^_~  


	4. Rising Heat

Disclaimer: It isn't mine. It never is. Cause that would actually be cool. I would make all the animes yaoi based and corrupt the youth of the world with incessant fluff and yummy scenes of hot guys in showers!!!!! Mwa Ha Ha Ha!!!!!!!!!!!

…………………………………….um, yeah.

Rising Heat By Dai-onna 

Yugi stood facing the morning sun, quietly reflecting on what was to come. First he would face Mai, then Joey would face Keith. The winners of those two matches would meet to decide who would face Pegasus. Odds were, he would be facing Joey in the finals. Normally he would feel reluctant to duel his best friend but right now he had no room for hesitation, his only goal was to defeat Pegasus and he would do so using whatever means necessary. 

_'Are you ready, aibou' _His Yami's voice filled his head and he felt even more confidant. 

'Yes… Yami, I don't want you to duel for me today.'

_'What? Are you sure?'_

'I have to do this myself. I can't let anyone do it for me.'

_'You know Pegasus will cheat and use his Sennen eye.' _He warned him.

'I know. But even if he knows what I'm going to do, it won't matter. I won't let him stop me from saving the people I love!' Yugi vowed fiercely. 

'I'm proud of you Yugi. You've become so strong that I sometimes think you don't need me anymore.'

Yugi shook his head, a small smile tingeing his lips. 

'Iie, I will always need you Yami. If I am stronger it is because I know that You and Seto love me and have faith in me. That gives me all the strength that I could ever need. You two are the best parts of me and without you I am nothing.'

'Oh Yugi, … You will never have to be without either of us again. I promise you that.'

'I know.'

With a determined breath Yugi grabbed his jacket off the chair and spread it over his shoulders, letting it fall like a cape. He smiled secretly to himself for a moment, knowing that the gesture was something that his Yami would have done. He wound his way through the halls to the room where they were supposed to meet before the matches began. He was the first to arrive but was soon joined by Jowy, then Anzu, Honda and Bakura. Mai then followed then lastly, Keith.

Yugi said nothing to anybody, standing off in a corner by himself until Pegasus' steward came in and announced that they were about to begin. He only half listened as the man explained the rules, his mind focused on his upcoming duels. He had spent the better part of the morning making some last minute additions to his deck. He was willing to do whatever it took to win even if he had to use the lowest, cheapest methods he could think of to do so.

Finally the first match was declared and he and Mai headed towards the arena while the others headed for the balcony to watch. 

Yugi went to stand in front of his console before turning his thoughts inward. 

'Yami, get out.'

_'What?'_

'Get out. I don't want you helping me, even by just offering me advice in my mind. This is my battle and I have to see it through alone.'

There was a long silence before his Yami finally replied. 

'I understand.'

There was a bright glow from the millennium puzzle that startled everyone. More startling to them was the fact that the light took the shape of a boy that looked remarkably like Yugi only he was more than a full head taller and had more spikes of golden hair. He was easily recognized as the one who appeared during Yugi's duels. 

Yami gave Yugi a meaningful look.

"Ganbatte, Yugi."

Yugi nodded and Yami headed for the balcony. Across the dueling field, Mai stood staring, slack-jawed at the retreating form before settling her startled gaze on Yugi. His stare hardened and he had to keep his determination from wavering. The older girl in front of him gasped when he gave her an icy glare. 

"It was no lie when I said I wanted to be your friend, Mai. But now I don't have time to worry about friendship. You are an obstacle and, if need be, I will crush you to accomplish my goals." His voice had a violent edge to it that none of them had heard before and there were several gasps in the now quiet room. Mai's eyes grew slightly watery and for a moment remorse lapped at him but he quickly pushed it aside and gave her a grim smile.

"Maybe you were right about that after all." 

There was a long moment of tenuous silence before finally Mai nodded her understanding and gave him a confident grin. 

"Come one then, boy. Show me if you have what it takes to make it through this tournament."

Yugi returned her grin with every bit of confidence. 

"Yes, Let's duel!"

Yami sighed to himself as he climbed the stairs to the balcony, his worry for Yugi overwhelming him. He was afraid for his Aibou. Not that he would lose. At this point he didn't think anyone could defeat the smaller boy. He was worried that the anger that his light half was dealing with would continue to build until it consumed him and the sweet, loving Yugi that he knew would be gone. 

He knew everyone was watching him as he stepped onto the balcony but he didn't really care. Nothing mattered to him at the moment except Yugi. Joey surprised him though by coming to stand next to him, his expression neutral. 

The blonde turned to him, giving him an even look. 

"Is this wise?" He asked, his concern for Yugi as evident as Yami's.

Yami met his gaze for a moment before looking back on the beginning duel. 

"Maybe. Maybe not. But Yugi has to do this. If I do it for him he will never forgive me. Or himself. This has become more than just a tournament to him. He has something that he needs to protect."

Joey was silent for a moment and Yami thought that he'd dropped the conversation when he startled the pharaoh by whispering under his breath.

"It's Kaiba, isn't it?"

Yami momentarily glanced up at the taller boy.

"Aa." 

Joey nodded and they both turned their attention to the duel below.

Yugi drew his cards, adrenaline seeping through his veins as he looked them over and he smiled a little to himself. Holy Elf, Harpy's Feather Sweep, Curse Of Dragon, Ankou Kishi Gaia, and Ookazi . 

He placed the Elf facedown in defense mode and Ookazi on the field as a decoy to distract the older girl. 

"Omae no turn." He said ending his turn.

Mai studied his cards warily then set out her Harpy Lady, equipping her with Cyber Bondage and having her attack the facedown card.

Even with her attack increased, the Harpy Lady wasn't strong enough to breach the elf's defenses and Mai's life points took the damage. 

With a curse Mai ended her turn.

Yugi drew his card. 

Hikari no gofuken—Swords Of Sealing Light

He kept his expression blank as he placed Curse of Dragon and destroyed Mai's 'Harpy-chan'. 

He ended his turn and Mai drew another card. He grew wary when a small quirk formed at the corner of her lips. Even more so when she set a magic card on the field. She then gave him a dark look before setting out her next monster. 

"Harpy's Pet Dragon!" With its attack equal to Curse Of Dragon she let it sit for the turn. 

With an uneasy feeling he drew his next card. 

Ritual of Chaos.

A plan already forming in mind, Yugi set Gaia onto the field and played a magic card from his hand.

Harpy's Feather Sweep.

Mai yelped in protest when her card was destroyed.

Yugi frowned when he saw what it was.

Mirror Wall.

With a sharp curse, Yugi had Gaia attack the dragon. Mai whimpered when it was gone and at the three hundred point decrease in her life points. 

Yugi ended his turn and waited pensively for Mai's next move. Despite the older girl's lack of direction, Yugi knew that she was a serious duelist and definitely someone to contend with.

He was unprepared for the assault.

"I play spell-binding circle!"

Yugi cringed a bit when a thousand attack points were taken from Gaia and Curse Of Dragon as well as the defending elf. 

She followed up her attack by playing the Harpy Lady with Ten Thousand Reflections, splitting it into the Harpy Lady Triplets and considerably increasing their attack. When she equipped them with the Malevolent Nuzzler Yugi knew he was in trouble. He had nothing in his hand that could beat them and few things in his deck.

He looked down at the field and remembered the magic card he'd placed before. It wouldn't solve his current problem but it would take about half of her remaining life points. He decided to hold off on using it. 

Mai's harpy Ladies attacked and destroyed Curse Of dragon taking a chunk of his life points with it. She ended her turn and Yugi placed his hand on top of his deck, ready to draw his next card. He prayed to anyone, anywhere that was listening that his next card was the one he's been waiting for. 

He drew.

A smirk formed on his lips and he stared Mai down with and intimidating glare. 

"This duel is over." He set his card on the field and everyone held their breath as they waited to see what he played. The monster appeared and the tension increased tenfold before Mai slammed her hands down on her console, outraged. 

"What do mean the duel is over?! How dare you insult my by implying that _that_ can beat my Harpy-chan!" She screamed, pointing at Kuriboh, wide-eyed. 

Yugi gave her a Yami-like smirk and pulled another card from his hand.

"I'm not finished yet. Prepare yourself Mai, for the warrior of legend."  
Yugi played the Ritual of Chaos on the field, sacrificing Kuriboh and Gaia into a huge beam of light.       

When the light dissipated a single soldier stood in its place. Clad in resplendent black armor that shone brightly and wielding an arced sword, the Chaos Soldier was truly a sight to behold. He effortlessly destroyed the harpies and Mai knew that she'd been beat.

She removed her cards from the field and stepped down. 

Yugi was declared the winner and he looked up at Pegasus who was watching with an amused grin from his own private balcony.

Yugi thoughts shone clearly in his mind. 

One more duel, Pegasus, and then its your turn. I swear you will pay.

~~Owari~~

Okay, I know it's kinda short but there's only one more chapter left and it will be longer. 

As always, please review__


	5. Eclipse

Disclaimer: I don't own them. 

Okay, this is the final Chapter. I tried to keep things as close to the actual story line as possible. Problem was, I haven't seen that part of the series. Some things were directly conflicting with the way the story was planed like Yugi passing out immediately after the shadow game began and Yami pulling out the Magician of Black Chaos. At the point where he was supposed to use the Dark Magician I just had him use the DM girl instead. Also, it's partially like the manga since in this Yugi doesn't duel Joey, Joey instead forfeits. Once again things in this story didn't go quite as planned so please forgive me if they don't run smoothly with some of the other chapters. The rating goes up for slight language.

****

Eclipse By: Dai-onna 

Yugi blinked up at his blonde friend trying to comprehend what he'd just been told. 

"You're… … Forfeiting?" He nearly choked on the word. Joey had just defeated Bandit Keith and now they were scheduled to face each other to decide who would face Pegasus. He didn't even care at the moment if his mouth was hanging open. He still couldn't believe the words that had just come out of Joey's mouth. Not once in the entire time that Yugi had known him had Katsuya Jounouchi ever given up on anything. Especially something as important as this. To say that he was stunned was somewhat of an understatement. 

A quick glance around proved that no one else could believe it either. 

Yugi met his friend's gaze and Joey gave him a steady look and a small smile. 

"You're going to beat me anyway." He said. When Yugi was about to protest his lack of confidence he shook his head.

"No, I'm not talking about skill. Though in all honesty, I'm sure you've got me beat there. You simply want this more than I do." He explained. "You have more at stake." 

Yugi's eyes went wide and he could think of a thing to say.

"Thank you, Joey." He murmured softly.

His blonde friend gave him a beaming smile and leaned down to whisper to him. 

"If you wanna thank me, then save that jerk Kaiba. You don't look right when you're not smiling."

Yugi felt the heat rise in his cheeks and looked up at his friend, startled. Determination filled him and he nodded fiercely.

With a glare he turned to look up at Pegasus who was watching them from his own balcony. Yugi's gaze narrowed further ant the older man met it for a moment before turning towards the hallway. When he was out of sight Yugi felt himself relax slightly though there were little tremors rushing through him. The anger that had been filling him since the previous day had yet to dissipate and it was making him edgy. He nearly jumped when Yami set a hand down on his shoulder. 

His dark half was looking down at him with a concerned expression and he smiled up at him softly.

"Yugi, are you certain that you want to do this alone? The shadow games are far different from the normal game. Are you sure you can handle it." Yugi scowled up at his dark half though there was a thoughtful glint to his eyes. 

"I _have_ to do this by myself Yami. This is my fight." He then lowered his voice so that the others wouldn't hear him. "I love him too much to stand by and do nothing." 

That said he turned and headed back towards the arena. Once Yugi was out of earshot Yami shook his head sullenly. "Silly Yugi," he whispered. "I love him too."

Yugi clenched his fists tightly as he approached his consol, his nails biting into his palms. It seemed that with every step he took closer to the older man who stood waiting to duel him, the more his anger seemed to increase. By the time that he got up to the dueling field he was nearly shaking.

The tension in the air was stifling and Yugi heard some gasps from the others as light came from Pegasus' Millennium Eye but then there was only darkness surrounding the two of them. 

Yugi gasped deeply as the effect of the world of darkness hit him and he nearly lost consciousness right then and there. 

Pegasus seemed pleased by the effect. 

"Well Yugi-boy, it doesn't as though the atmosphere here suits you too well, does it?" He taunted. Yugi gritted his teeth and bit back an acidic retort. He didn't trust his voice too much at the moment and didn't want to give the older man the satisfaction of hearing him stutter. 

"Maybe this will make you feel better though. As a little added incentive for you, should you, by some chance defeat me, you will be given my share of Industrial Illusions. Something that will make you quite rich." 

Yugi grimaced at his friendly tone and glared at him.

_'Bastard. As if I need added incentive.'_

Reading his thoughts, Pegasus smiled at him curiously.

"Before we start though, let me ask you a question, Yugi-boy." Yugi blinked for a moment then motioned for the older man to continue.

"Out of the three souls that I have in my possession, if you could only save one, which would it be?"

Yugi's eyes widened at the man's audacity and he wanted to throttle him desperately but he managed to hold his anger in check. He closed his eyes a bit as he recalled his promise to Seto the other night and a small, sad quirk formed at the corner of his lips.

"That's easy." He said softly, his tone taking the silver-haired man by surprise. "I'd save Mokuba." 

The older man didn't bother to hide his surprise at Yugi's answer and when Yugi looked back up he saw some of the glimmer fade from the other man's eye.

When Pegasus spoke it wasn't with his normal singsong manner or his usual politeness. 

"You really do love him." It wasn't a question. 

Yugi growled softly. 

"What would someone like you know of love?!" He demanded. He was seeing red and he barely missed the pained look in the older man's expression. He thought back to the painting he'd seen in the dining hall the night before of a beautiful young girl with light brown hair and a sadistic smirk touched his lips.

"She's lucky she's dead, you know." He said darkly. Pegasus' eye widened and he stared at him startled. "She never got to see just what kind of a person you really are."

The older man's expression turned fierce He pulled out a card and Yugi paled when he saw just what it was. 

"I wouldn't say such things, little Yugi." Pegasus chided. "You're beloved's fate rests, quite literally in my hand. It would be a shame if something were to happen to him." 

Yugi wanted to fight back the anger that consumed him, wanted to keep it at bay, if nothing else than for Seto's sake but it was too much for him. 

"Fuck you!" He spat. The silver-haired man wagged a finger in front of him tauntingly. 

"Tsk, tsk, tsk Yugi-boy." He said, his usual manner returning. "You really should mind your language."

Yugi slammed his hand down on the dueling field. 

"I'm tired of watching my language. I'm tired of being the nice one. I'm tired of standing by and watching the people I love be hurt because I'm too damn scared to fight for them myself!!" He yelled, his voice rising with every sentence.

And, just like that, his anger vanished. The tension fled from his body in a wave and he was breathing deeply from his outburst. Once again he fought against passing out but he held on.

"Enough of this." He said. "Lets duel."

Yugi drew his cards, keeping his expression blank as he did so. 

The battle started out normal enough, Yugi using some of his usual cards and strategies and even some new ones but it quickly became apparent that Pegasus was indeed reading his mind. With every monster that was destroyed Yugi felt the blow physically and the only thing that kept him hanging on was knowing that if he lost then the pain that he was feeling now would be nothing compared to the hell that he would be in. 

He cursed mentally and some part of him hoped that the older man heard a few of his choice words. 

Hoping for the best Yugi played his Demon Summon with the Hexagram Curse. His spirit lifted when Pegasus attacked it but then dropped when at the last moment he played the Trap Transfer card, sending the trap back on to Yugi's own monster then destroying it. 

Yugi winced as his demon was destroyed and began to panic slightly. How could he possibly win when Pegasus knew every move that he was going to make? What if he lost, what if he couldn't save Seto or his grandfather or Mokuba. He didn't think he could survive it if he failed them. He suddenly wished that his Yami were with him but quickly dispersed the thought. Yami had faith in him. That's why he wasn't there. No matter what he'd said to convince him, Yami wouldn't have let Yugi fight Pegasus alone if he didn't fully believe that he would win. Seto believed in him too and he knew that he wouldn't, couldn't let them down.

He held his breath as Pegasus drew his card and cursed the man for keeping his expression neutral. Yugi swallowed deeply when Pegasus played a magic card.

Toon World.

Yugi began putting his monsters in defense mode, knowing that none of them would be able to touch the older man's toon monsters. He dug his fingers into the edge of the dueling field, trying not to lose his wavering hope as the silver-haired man played the Gorgon Stare trap card, destroying one of his defending monsters and damaging his life points for half that monster's defending power. Pegasus followed up his attack by playing the copycat card and mimicking Yugi's Demon Summon, creating the Toon Demon Summon.

Things had just gone from bad to worse.

Yami ignored Anzu's startled protests when Yugi and Pegasus were enveloped by the world of darkness, beginning the shadow game. He felt his connection from Yugi cut off and he felt depressingly bereft. He silently prayed to Ra that Yugi would be okay. He knew that Yugi could handle himself in a normal duel but the shadow games were grueling and they took their toll on you quickly. Especially someone as lighthearted as Yugi. His mind registered when Honda said that he was going to go look for Mokuba and Kaiba, just incase Yugi lost and saw Bakura go after him. He knew that he should have gone with them but he couldn't draw himself away from the railing, despite the fact that he couldn't see what was happening. 

He just wished that there was something that he could do to help Yugi.

Holding his breath once again, Yugi played the Dark Magician Girl and the Magical Silk Hats encasing them. Pegasus attacked the hats, knowing which one it was in but, to both of their surprise, the hat he hit was empty. 

Yugi felt Yami's presence wash over him and was about to say something to him when his dark half's voice filled his mind.

*Please Yugi, let me help you. I can't hold out like this very long but let me do this little bit. I can't sit to the side doing nothing any more than you can.* He pleaded. Yugi relented to the assistance, realizing how selfish he'd been. 

_'Thank you Yami.'_

 Pegasus attacked the hats but with Yami's consciousness shielding Yugi's mind he missed again but then played the Ward of Magic Dispelling, destroying the hats. Feeling his confidence rise Yugi activated two cards. The Magic Effect Arrow to send the ward at Pegasus as well, destroying Toon World and then Mirror Force to destroy the toons.

Pegasus swallows a curse as he realizes that he underestimated Yugi. The older man placed a card that took Yugi by surprise. The Dark Eyes Illusionist. The monster itself had an attack power of 0 but it had a special ability to immobilize all of Yugi's monsters.

Yugi's eyes widened painfully and he felt a chunk of ice sink into his stomach when the older man followed it up with the Ritual of Illusions offering up Dark Eyes as a tribute to summon Sacrifice. Again the monster had no attack or defense power but that didn't make Yugi any less worried. Sacrifice uses it's ability and, much to Yugi's dismay, absorbed the Curse Of Dragon that Yugi had on the field along with his Dark Magician Girl. 

Yugi used his magician girl to attack the monstrosity but, using the absorbed dragon, he shielded himself and the damage was instead done to his own life points. 

_'Oh god,'_ Yugi thought to himself. _'What can I do?'_ He felt Yami's calming presence wash over him and allowed his other half to draw and place a card, trusting in what he was doing. As soon as the card was placed however, Yami's consciousness disappeared from his mind completely and he realized that the other had passed out. His panic rose knowing that Pegasus would now be able to freely read his mind and he couldn't think of how the situation could possibly get worse.

He found out.

Pegasus played the Time Bomber card which would explode in two turns, destroying all the monsters on the field and damaging their owner's life points for equal to their attack strength. Powered up by the darkness around them, his Magician Girl's attack strength would be enough to finish off his life points. Pegasus however wouldn't lose and life points because Sacrifice had no attack strength of it's own. 

Yugi could feel the despair lapping at him again but, somewhere in the back of his mind, he could hear Seto and Yami calling to him telling him not to give up. He had so many things that he was fighting for. Seto, his grandfather, Mokuba. He couldn't let them down again. Not now. 

His Sennen Puzzle began to grow brightly and Pegasus was startled to find that Yugi's mind was completely blocked from view by the people that he loved. An image of Jowy scowled at the older man as he used his Millennium Eye.

"Get the hell out of Yugi's mind, asshole!"

Yugi could feel the tears welling in his eyes, knowing that his friends were protecting him.

_'Arigatou, Minna.'_ He silently thanked and turned his attention back towards the duel.

With a surge of confidence Yugi reached for the monster card that Yami had played earlier and when he touched it he felt a small jolt run through him. Startled, he picked the card up and stared at it in shock. 

Holy Dragon Mage.

Attack: 5000

Defense: 5000

Effect: Voids all monster effects, magic and trap cards currently in play

He thought back as far as he could, trying to remember where he had gotten such a powerful card but he was positive that he'd never seen it before in his life. 

Then it hit him. 

_'They should be together, don't you think?'_ The Blue Eyes card that Seto had given him and his own Dark Magician had fused in his hand but at the time he'd been too out of it to notice. This card must have been what they created. He thought, awed.

He held the card close to his chest for a moment and thanked them for their help. Wordlessly, he placed the card face up on the field.

Pegasus' eye went wide when a lone boy appeared on the field. He stood tall, his inky black hair falling to the ground. His narrow blue eyes peered listlessly through his long bangs. He had large, dragon-like wings and held a summoning staff, similar to that of the Dark Magician's. He wore a pristine white cloak that enveloped him and a small gold circlet crowned his head.

Pegasus sputtered indignantly at the sight of him. 

"What is that? I never made that card!"

Yugi laughed softly.

"These are the shadow games, Pegasus. We aren't playing by your rules anymore. Just because you didn't make the card doesn't mean it's any less real. That's for the cards themselves to decide. Now, attack, Holy Dragon Mage."

Pegasus could only stare in horror as the Dragon Mage effortlessly destroyed Sacrifice, who no longer had its effect to shield it, with an attack that looked remarkably like Blue Eyes' Burst Stream.

Pegasus' life points were obliterated and the battle ended. The older man look considerably distraught and Yugi gave him a small, sympathetic smile.

"You've lost, Pegasus. And there are consequences for losing in the Shadow Games" Yugi grasped his Sennen Puzzle and it shone brightly, sealing the older man's soul in the dark world. 

_'Please,'_ Yugi prayed softly to his puzzle. _'Grant him his wish.'_

The darkness shifted all around Pegasus and his mind grew muddled. He blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to remember where he was and why. When everything cleared he found himself standing in the garden of a large manor house. The house looked familiar to him but with his mind as hazy as it was he couldn't place it.

"Pegasus! There you are." He heard a sweet voice call out to him and, though he couldn't remember whose voice it was, it made his heart beat faster and a smile tinge his lips.

The voice, it seemed, belonged to a young girl, about seventeen with long, golden brown hair that was tied with a blue ribbon. The skirt of her matching dress swirled around her as she ran towards him a bright smile on her face.

"Cyndia…" He murmured softly, the name falling easily from his lips as some of his memories began to clear. He was at Cyndia's house, in the garden where they so often spent their time together. 

The young girl threw her arms around him and beamed up at him.

"I've been looking for you." She pouted, mischief sparkling in her amber colored eyes. "We still have so much planning to do. I still can't believe that the wedding is only three weeks away. Cyndia Crawford. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Pegasus smiled down at her and nodded, holding her close. If felt like it had been years since he'd last seen her and he didn't want to let her go. As she pulled him through the garden, leading him back towards the house she paused to look at him.

"What were you doing out here anyway?" She asked. Confusion touched his brow for a moment and then he just smiled at her. 

"I don't even know."

As the world of darkness faded from around Yugi the toll it took on him and the emotional fatigue he'd been put through made themselves apparent. Pushed beyond his limits he felt consciousness slipping from him and just before everything went black he could have sworn that he saw two of Pegasus' guards being chased by a large Man Eater Bug.

_Epilogue_

After what felt like years of rest he was drawn back to awareness by voices around him and a comforting warmth.

"He look, he's waking up." Came a voice that was most certainly Joey. He blinked his eyes open. Around him were Joey, Honda, Anzu, Mai, Yami and a restored Mokuba. That meant that the person who was apparently holding him was…

He looked up and lost himself into shimmering blue eyes. Tears slid welcome down his cheeks as he stared up at Seto whom he feared he might never see again. Not caring the slightest about the people watching him he threw his arms around the older boy and kissed him soundly. Somewhere in the back of his mind he could have sworn he heard Anzu scream but he didn't really care at the moment. The embrace was met eagerly and Seto's lips moved easily over his own before deepening the kiss, slipping his tongue past Yugi's parted lips to fully taste him. Yugi felt as though he'd been deprived of something wonderful for years and only now had been given it back. 

When they finally pulled apart, everyone was watching them startled, with the exception of Joey and Yami. Finally Mokuba was the one who broke the tenuous silence when he approached them, shaking his head. 

"Man, it just figures you'd fall for a weird one." He said. Seto frowned at him, still holding Yugi close.

"Yugi's not weird." He reprimanded. A large, mischievous grin broke out on the smaller boy's face.

"Well, duh. It's Yugi I was talking to." Seto's frown deepened but he wasn't really upset because the comment had made Yugi laugh brightly. 

Wiping the tears of mirth from his eyes he settled back into Seto's arms. Finally he felt whole again and feeling Seto's arms around him and lips on his, he knew that everything was going to be alright.

   ~~Owari~~

Okay, okay, I know it's a little weird but I couldn't help it. It just seemed to have a mind of it's own. Also, the thing about the Man Eater Bug chasing the guards did happen. Bakura used the power of his ring to animate some of his cards. I just couldn't resist throwing that in.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this story, despite the oddness of it. I liked it.

Please review.


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